A low complexity, high yield integrated process has been developed, tested and enhanced to improve the viability and economics of converting heavy viscous hydrocarbons into desired refinery feedstock. The concept for this integrated process has been previously described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/037,185 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/250,935, and has been validated through pilot plant (5 BPD) and demonstration scale (1500 BPD) facilities. Improvements to the integrated process through shear mixing have been disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/548,915.
This invention describes the optimal operating conditions to achieve the lowest complexity and highest yield for the described integrated process. The integrated process operates at temperatures, pressures, heat fluxes, residence times, sweep gas rates and solvent to oil ratios outside any open art processes. The reduced capital and operating costs with the high liquid product yield for this novel integrated process, from the novel combination of all these conditions, and choices of solvent, make it a high return opportunity for any heavy oil producers.